The Banshee comes as a comfort, according to traditional Irish legend, though she is often portrayed as a horror in popular culture. She is a revenant. or one who has died and come back. Her long hair trails over an unearthly gown as she visits living members of ancient  Irish families. Her weeping wail  signals a family death. 

Legend of the Banshee

According to traditional legend,  the Banshee  appeared whenever a member of one of Ireland’s ancient families was about to die. These families may have included  the O’Neills, the O’Donnells, the O’Connors, the O’Learys, and the Kavanaughs.  The Banshee’s wail is usually described as mournful and haunting but human.

The Irish poet, William Butler Yeats, recorded J. Todhunter’s account of “How Thomas  Connolly Met the Banshee” in his book Irish Folk and Fairy Tales. The narrator of this tale describes being on a road he had traveled many times before but suddenly feeling as if it were a very strange place. He felt as if a cold wind were blowing through his heart.  Suddenly,  he saw an old woman, sitting with her head hunched over her knees.  She seemed to be “in a great affliction.”

On approaching her, he realized that she was “no more an old woman than she was an old cat.” Her hair trailed for at least a yard on either side of her. It was strong and shiny,  like a “floss silk.” Her dress did not seem to have been made out of “any earthly material.”

However, the most frightening part of her appearance was her face.  It was “pale as a corpse” and her eyes looked as if they had been sewn in with red thread, though they were as ”blue as two forget-me-nots” and as cold as “the moon in a bog-hole of a frosty night.”

Finally, she rolled her head back and let go of her wail while gliding around the angle of the bridge and into the stream underneath it.  At that point, Thomas began to suspect he had seen the Banshee. However, when he learned that a member of the O’Neill family who lived nearby had died that night, he was sure of it.

Variations in the Legend

Some legends describe the Banshee as a beautiful young woman who met a sad death , which may have occurred during childbirth or a the hands of her husband.  However,  most traditions suggest that each family had its own banshee or group of Banshees, and that these banshees were their own ancestors.  She is often depicted as an old hag.

The Irish name for the banshee is bean sídhe, which may mean a woman  from the hills or from the fairy mounds.  Some legends say that she is actually the Irish goddess or queen of battle, known as the Morrigan. Other sources tell of the banshee appearing in human form as a visionary who can predict death in battle. Since the story of the banshee has been told throughout many part of Ireland and the Irish diaspora throughout many different periods of history, it is not surprising that many aspects of the legend vary.

Accounts of the Banshee Appearing

Many Irish families have their own accounts of the Banshee appearing before the death of a grandparent or other relative. One well-known incident involved Lord Rossmore, a former commander of Irish forces who died suddenly one night in August of 1801. According to Robert Chambers, whose  Book of Days contains  many anecdotes and “human curiosities,” a guest at the home that night, Sir Jonah,  was awakened “by a sound of a very extraordinary nature.” He said the sound was  “softer than any voice, and wilder than any music, and seemed to float in the air.” It became increasingly plaintive until at last it let out a “a deep, heavy, throbbing sigh, “ which was suddenly followed by a sharp cry. He then clearly heard the voice exclaim “Rossmore! Rossmore! Rossmore.”

In the morning, the man learned that Rossmore had died during the night.

While Sir Jonah continued to affirm the truth of his account,  most view the Banshee as a creation of the Irish imagination.  Much of Irish history has included sorrow and loss; the belief in an empathetic revenant with close family ties is a natural response. The rich tradition of Irish storytelling ensured that the legend would be often remembered and retold.